Pagcor suspends license of Resorts World
@daxINQ The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), which regulates the Philippine gaming industry, yesterday suspended the license of Resorts World Manila pending the results of the investigation of the June 2 incident where a lone gunman attacked the casino hotel in Pasay City and set fire to gaming tables and slot machines, suffocating 38 people to death.
Pagcor chair Andrea Domin- go said the agency’s board has served on Resorts World Manila president Kingson Sian a “cease and desist” order for all its gaming operations.
The cease and desist order will be in effect “pending investigation and final determination” by Pagcor of the casino operator’s liability for the incident and “compliance with all security, safety and gaming operations requirements,” Domingo added.
In a statement, Resorts World said the company had voluntarily suspended all gaming operations as of June 5. Resorts World has yet to commence operations since last week’s incident.
However, other hotels within the property development owned by tycoon Andrew Tan—namely Marriott, Remington and Belmont—are operating. Only the adjoining Maxim’s hotel, where the assailant burned and killed himself, the casino and the shopping mall are closed.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Resorts World said it had decided to remain close at least until June 15 to ensure that all safety issues have been addressed before it resumes operations.
To prevent a recurrence of the tragic incident, Resorts World Manila has tapped the services of international security experts as part of its commitment to review and tighten its security and safety protocols.
The company has hired BlackPanda which specializes in crisis response, risk management, and security consulting. It is comprised exclusively of individuals who have served at the highest levels of military Special Operations units in the US, Canada, New Zealand and the Philippines.
“We are determined to regain people’s trust after the tragic incident last week,” said Stephen Reilly, chief operating officer of RWM.
“BlackPanda’s breadth of experience covers over 1,000 missions across 50 countries in six continents. They have successfully conducted peacetime advisory operations and even counterterrorist combat missions,” he added.
The private security firm will comb through RWM’s security and safety protocols and practices to identify areas for improvement, recommend risk reduction measures, and guide RWM through its implementation.
“The recent breach in our security and the resulting loss of lives is truly regrettable and we cannot let it happen again,” Reilly said.
Earlier, Pagcor said the tragic event “shows the vulnerability of our institutions in the face or any form of terror attack.”